Electronic part recognition apparatus and chip mounter having the same

1. A method of operating a chip mounter, the method comprising:

preparing an electronic part on a part supply unit, which includes a conveyor and a nozzle module, and a printed circuit board on a main body;

gripping the electronic part using a part conveyor unit to move the electronic part along a part moving path on the part supply unit and the main body, and

the conveyor is combined with the nozzle module to move the nozzle module along the part moving path, and

the nozzle module moves along X-, Y-, and Z-axes on the part moving path to suction the electronic part;

photographing the electronic part using an image processing unit when the electronic part is located at a part recognition region within the part moving path without stoppage and during the movement of the electronic part;

transmitting a photographed image of the electronic part to a controller using the image processing unit;

comparing the photographed image with a reference image using the controller; and

displaying the photographed image to the exterior using the controller;

wherein the part recognition region is set by at least one coordinate in the controller to be located on a light source of the image processing unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the part conveyor unit continuously recognizes position information of the electronic part on the part moving path using a position recognition portion therein.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the part moving path is formed between a pick-up position of the part supply unit and a mounting position of a printed circuit board.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit includes the light source and an image photographer which are electrically connected to the controller.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the photographing the electronic part comprises:

transmitting position formation of the electric part located on the part recognition region to the controller using the part conveyor unit;

turning on the light source using the controller to expose the electric part to a light of the light source while the electric part passing through the part recognition region; and

receiving a photographing signal of the controller through the image photographer to photograph an image of the electric part using the image photographer.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the image processing unit further includes a shutter and a shutter driver which are electrically connected to the controller; and

the photographing the electronic part includes:

transmitting position formation of the electric part located on the part recognition region to the controller using the part conveyor unit;

opening the shutter under the part recognition region using the shutter driver through the controller;

turning on the light source using the controller to emit a light of the light source via the shutter to the exterior and expose the electric part to the light of the light source while the electric part passing through the part recognition region; and

receiving a photographing signal of the controller through the image photographer to photograph an image of the electric part using the image photographer.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the image processing unit further includes a mirror between the light source and the image photographer which are sequentially located perpendicular to the part moving path; and

the photographing the electronic part comprises:

reflecting an image of the electric part exposed to a light of the light source to guide the image of the electric part to the image photographer; and

receiving the image of the electric part using the image photographer.

8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the light source includes a side illumination portion, and first and second illumination portions which are sequentially located from an upper portion of the light source toward a lower portion of the light source; and

the photographing the electronic part comprises:

illuminating a lead and a ball of the electronic part using the side illumination portion; and

simultaneously illuminating side surfaces of a center portion of the electronic part.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the controller includes a display unit which displays the photographed image of the electronic part, the reference image is set in the controller; and

the comparing the photographed image with the reference image comprises:

determining whether the photographed image is equal to the reference image; and

inspecting misalignment of the electronic part suctioned by the nozzle module.